Search Results (580)

The integration of service function chains (SFCs) and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) lays a crucial technological foundation for achieving efficient, reliable, and adaptive future airborne service networks. Service functions (SFs) in the SFC will be deployed on UAVs; this type of SFC is called unmanned aerial vehicle-based service function chains (USFCs). However, due to the combined effects of open hardware and software architectures, exposed communication links, and complex mission environments, UAVs have become ideal targets for attackers. Once a vulnerability is successfully injected into a UAV, data from the SFs running on it will be stolen, seriously threatening the dependability of the USFC. Therefore, it is necessary to conduct a quantitative evaluation of the USFC dependability to provide insights for further improving its dependability. This paper develops a USFC dependability evaluation model based on a semi-Markov process (SMP) to capture the dynamic interaction between attacker behavior and USFC system recovery behavior. The dependability of the USFC is comprehensively evaluated from two perspectives: availability and security. Extensive numerical analysis experiments are conducted, and the results not only demonstrate the changing trends of various dependability metrics under different parameters but also show parameter combinations for synergistic optimization among metrics. Full article

Intestinal infections caused by Salmonella enterica serovar Typhi (S. Typhi) remain a global health concern, making preventive strategies and diagnostic tools essential. This study aimed to identify mimotope peptides of the Vi antigen using phage display and assess their recognition by rabbit and 46 human sera, as well as their potential for diagnosis and immunogen design. Rabbits were immunized with the Vi antigen (AgVi) from S. Typhi ATCC 6539, and sera-derived IgG was used for phage biopanning. DNA sequences from selected phagotopes were synthesized as Salmonella mimotope peptides (SMPs), either linear or KLH-conjugated. Their reactivity was tested with ELISAs against AgVi and SMPs, using both rabbit sera and 46 human serum samples. Ten phagotopes were identified, with a consensus motif (D/G–A/V–x–P–x–x–G–x–x–x–x–x), suggesting α-helix structures. Immunization with KLH-conjugated peptides generated specific antibodies, particularly SMPVi/5 and SMPVi/10, which recognized AgVi and their respective peptides. Competitive inhibition assays confirmed that SMPVi/5 reduced the anti-AgVi binding in a dose-dependent manner. In human sera, AgVi recognition occurred in 52% of samples, while SMPVi/5 and SMPVi/10 were recognized in 45%. Overall, SMPVi/5 demonstrated immunogenicity and functional mimicry, supporting its use as a synthetic reagent for serological assays and as a candidate for immunogen design. Full article

Strategic Mine Planning (SMP) creates the long-term economic baseline for mining operations, yet economic variability necessitates Dynamic Mine Planning (DMP) to rapidly stress-test those financial assumptions. Currently, this capability is hindered by fragmented software ecosystems that require manual data handoffs, slowing iteration and breaking the audit trail between market data and valuation models. While Generative AI affords an opportunity to automate these workflows, its adoption in the mining industry is stalled by concerns over data quality and the risk of uncritical acceptance of automated outputs. Addressing these challenges, this paper describes the Mine Intelligence and Decision Support (MINDS) framework. We present MINDS as a modular reference architecture that uses Large Language Model (LLM) agents to orchestrate the economic evaluation process while maintaining strict engineering oversight. The system integrates a conversational interface with a multi-agent assessment layer that acts as an adversarial review, assessing price assumptions against market intelligence before generating economic valuation scenarios. A proof-of-concept using the Marvin copper benchmark evaluates the framework, demonstrating automated request-to-report orchestration, execution stability with an average debate latency of 10.69 s and a transparent decision audit trail. These findings show that MINDS can systematize economic scenario analysis without sacrificing the governance and verification required for definitive feasibility studies. Full article

Sulfamethoxazole (SMX) is one of the most frequently detected antibiotics in aquatic environments and is difficult to remove by conventional biological treatment because of its persistence, potential toxicity to microbial communities, and associated risk of antibiotic resistance selection. Aerobic granular sludge membrane bioreactors (AGMBRs), which combine the compact and stratified structure of aerobic granular sludge with membrane-based solid–liquid separation, have emerged as a promising platform for SMX-contaminated wastewater treatment because they provide high biomass retention, decoupled sludge retention time (SRT) and hydraulic retention time (HRT), and stable effluent quality. This review systematically summarizes recent advances in AGMBRs for SMX removal, with emphasis on how operating parameters (e.g., dissolved oxygen, hydraulic retention time, organic loading rate, C/N ratio, and sludge retention time) and membrane-related factors (e.g., membrane flux, aeration-induced shear, membrane type, and pore size) affect treatment performance and process stability. The main SMX attenuation pathways in AGMBRs are discussed from three perspectives: sorption and partitioning within granules and extracellular polymeric substances (EPSs), microbial biodegradation and co-metabolism, and membrane retention that prolongs effective contact time and shapes microbial ecology. Particular attention is given to the dual role of EPS and soluble microbial products (SMPs), which contribute to granule stability and SMX tolerance but also accelerate membrane fouling through cake-layer formation, pore blocking, and transmembrane pressure increase. Current challenges include incomplete understanding of transformation products, ARG- and MGE-related risks, long-term fouling–biodegradation interactions, and the lack of pilot-scale validation. Future research should therefore focus on mechanism clarification, integrated control of removal and fouling, energy-efficient operation, and scale-up of AGMBRs for practical antibiotic wastewater treatment. Full article

Tuberculosis (TB), an infectious disease caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis, is a leading cause of morbidity worldwide. Along with CD4+ T lymphocytes, macrophages serve as key pillars of the immune response against this intracellular pathogen, which is essential for the prompt and effective elimination of the bacilli. Many strategies have been developed to enhance the microbicidal performance of macrophages; among them, stimulation with polymeric microparticles is one of the most promising. Exposition of infected macrophages to these microparticles may enhance non-specific innate immune mechanisms such as the promotion of phagocytosis, the induction of proinflammatory cytokines, and the production of reactive oxygen intermediates (ROI), contributing to the elimination of mycobacteria. Here, we evaluated the in vitro effect of starch microparticles (SMPs) on the activation and microbicidal activity of infected alveolar macrophages. The results demonstrate that these alpha-glucan microparticles are efficiently phagocytosed by infected macrophages and promote cellular activation, inducing reactive oxygen and nitrogen species, moderate apoptosis, and modulating cytokine and chemokine production without causing an excessive proinflammatory response. These effects contributed to the elimination of tubercle bacilli when SMPs were administered after infection, suggesting their usefulness as a post-exposure treatment that activates macrophages against the pathogen. Full article

In competitive sport, an athlete’s success is often linked to their physical strength, skill, and overall athletic ability. However, physical talent alone does not fully account for sporting success, as psychological and other personal factors also play a crucial role in achieving high performance. Thus, the present cross-sectional study aimed to examine the relationships between perfectionistic personality characteristics, achievement goal orientations, and trait anxiety among young football players using correlation and regression analyses. Participants consisted of 152 male U16 football players (M = 15.67, SD = 0.54) competing in the official league organized by the Cyprus Turkish Football Federation (CTFF). Data were collected using the Sport Multidimensional Perfectionism Scale (SMPS), the 2 × 2 Achievement Goals Questionnaire for Sport (AGQ-S), and the State Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI). Pearson’s correlation analyses and simple linear regression models were conducted to examine relationships among variables and to identify significant predictors of trait anxiety. Correlation analyses revealed that trait anxiety was positively associated with concern over mistakes (r = 0.28, p < 0.01), perceived parental pressure (r = 0.17, p < 0.05), and mastery-avoidance goals (r = 0.37, p < 0.01), whereas it was negatively associated with mastery-approach goals (r = −0.18, p < 0.05). Regression analyses indicated that concern over mistakes significantly predicted trait anxiety (β = 0.25, p = 0.003), while perceived parental pressure was not a significant direct predictor (β = 0.10, p = 0.21). In addition, mastery-avoidance goals significantly predicted trait anxiety (β = 0.43, p < 0.001), whereas mastery-approach goals were negatively associated with trait anxiety (β = −0.28, p < 0.001). In conclusion, the findings indicate that perfectionistic concerns and mastery-avoidance goals are key factors associated with higher trait anxiety, whereas mastery-approach orientations may serve as a protective factor among young football players. Full article

The rapid expansion of the high electricity-intensive industries like data center has led to a structural increase in industrial electricity demand, thereby increasing the need for demand response (DR) to enhance power system flexibility. However, in the industrial sector, DR strategies based solely on simple load curtailment can impose productivity losses on participating customers. To address this limitation, this study proposes an SMP-based load shifting linear programming (LP) optimization model that enables DR curtailment to translate into electricity cost reduction through clustered DR resources formed by combining load resources at the industrial complex level. The decision variables representing hourly load shifting are adjusted under constraints defined by the hourly average demand and flexibility of the load resources, and the averages and fluctuations of SMP. The objective function is optimized to minimize the total electricity cost. Since the demand flexibility varies by season, experiments are conducted about various clustered DR resources on a seasonal basis. When resources with similar hourly average demand and flexibility are combined, the resulting load shifting plans are found to yield the greatest electricity cost reduction (Scenario 2—0.79 M KRW). These results confirm that the proposed load shifting LP model can provide a practical approach for DR operation planning. Full article

Inhalation is a primary route of exposure to engineered nanomaterials (ENMs), enabling particles to penetrate deeply into the lungs and subsequently leading to adverse health effects. Human health risk assessment addresses the potential risk posed by ENMs. The aim was achieved by measuring the emissions of ENMs using real-time instrumentation and subsequently applying the data to evaluate associated human health risks using ModelRisk. Emissions during the synthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs), gold nanoparticles (AuNPs), graphene 2D (G2D) nanomaterials, multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) and the application of AuNPs on black carbon electrodes were monitored using a NanoScan SMPS Model 3910 and Optical Particle Sizer (OPS) Spectrometer Model 3330. The derived mass-based time-weighted average concentrations were reported for AgNPs and MWCNTs in comparison with occupational exposure limits (OELs). AgNP concentrations of 0.36 µg/m³ and 3.99 µg/m³ for the NanoScan SMPS and OPS, respectively, exceeded the OEL of 0.19 µg/m³, whereas MWCNT concentrations (0.261 µg/m³) remained below the OEL of 1 µg/m³. AuNP synthesis resulted in particle number concentrations exceeding the provisional nano reference value of 20,000 particles/cm³ for the OPS data (3.74 × 10⁴ particles/cm³), whereas application of AuNPs on carbon black electrodes was below this limit. Although no OEL exists for graphene, risk estimates indicated potential adverse health effects like those observed for AgNPs, AuNPs, and MWCNTs. Measured exposure concentrations were applied in a human health risk assessment model, highlighting ENM concentration as a key determinant of risk. These findings emphasise the need for continuous monitoring, further risk assessment studies, and proactive risk management strategies. Full article

There has been a recent increase in the use of social media platforms (SMPs), as well as a large increase in scientific journals and academic article publications. We need to study if and how much academics, scholars and researchers trust SMPs as sources, i.e., citations, for writing their research articles. The purpose of this research is to explore the relationship between SMPs and bibliographic article citations for ten years between 2010 and 2019, with 31 December marking the official identification of COVID-19, a milestone that affected the whole world, including academic publishing. By using a citation retrieval tool written in Java, the citations referring to the URLs of 6432 articles from 14 Q1 open access education journals ranked by the SCImago platform were extracted. The retrieved URLs were stored in a relational database, preprocessed and cleaned, and analyzed using SQL queries to identify and quantify citations originating from SMPs. The findings showed that there were 112 instances, which corresponds to 1.8% of the articles, of an SMP post being used as a citation. Out of the 17 SMPs checked, eight were used, with the most popular being YouTube, having a percentage of 68% of the aforementioned 112 citations, followed by Twitter (now X) with approximately 13.5% and then by Facebook with around 7%. Most of these in-text citations were found at the Introduction and the Design/Methodology sections of the papers. Other important findings of this study were that about 2% of the URL citations referred to blogs and wikis and that one in 100 articles used Wikipedia in the bibliography. Also, for a 26-year period from 1999 to 2024, it was observed that the number of journals increased by 82.8%, while the number of open access journals showed an impressive 552.14% increase. The findings of this study could lead to changes in the metadata design of bibliographic databases, like the way of searching them, and to a review of the life cycle duration of sustainable access to the content of the cited SMPs. Full article

Neuropeptides regulate diverse physiological and behavioural processes in parasites, yet their functional roles in the infective larval stages of Schistosoma mansoni remain poorly defined. In this study, we identified miracidia-derived putative neuropeptides and examined their roles in regulating miracidial behaviour. Peptidomic analysis revealed ten putative neuropeptides, including five whose proteomic identification in this life stage was previously unreported. Neuropeptide precursor proteins were evaluated for stage-specific expression and Schistosoma genus specificity to prioritise candidates with potential functional and biocontrol relevance. Protein–protein interaction analysis identified Smp_176700 as a highly connected neuropeptide precursor associated with proteins implicated in miracidial structure and infection. Eight putative neuropeptides derived from six precursor proteins were synthesised and externally applied to miracidia in acute (1 min) and prolonged (360 min) behavioural assays. During acute exposure, most peptides induced significant concentration-dependent behavioural changes at 3 mg/mL and 0.1 mg/mL, characterised by reduced swimming velocity and increased directional change, with no significant effects at 0.01 mg/mL. Prolonged exposure revealed peptide-specific effects, with ASLSYF-OH and FLLGLPPSLRQH-OH producing the most pronounced behavioural modulation. These findings demonstrate that S. mansoni miracidia express bioactive neuropeptides capable of modulating larval behaviour, providing insight into schistosome neurobiology and identifying potential targets for transmission-blocking interventions. Full article

Background/Objectives: The growing shortage of organs for transplantation requires optimized preservation techniques. Normothermic (NMP) and Subnormothermic Machine Perfusion (SMP) allow for the assessment of organ viability prior to transplantation and enable targeted therapeutic interventions while maintaining a metabolically active state in contrast to hypothermic settings. Methods: In this study, the synthetic perfusion solution “Omnisol” was used in a 6 h ex vivo setting with porcine kidneys (n = 6 NMP; n = 6 SMP). Perfusion parameters (arterial flow, intrarenal resistance and urinary flow), renal function (excretory and filtration performance), renal injury (cellular and circulating biomarkers) and tissue and perfusate oxygenation were assessed. Results: NMP resulted in better arterial flow and lower intrarenal resistance during the first 3 h of perfusion, while SMP surpassed NMP from 3 to 6 h. Renal injury biomarkers increased in the NMP group after 3 h, while no increase was detectable in the SMP group. Omnisol fully met the oxygen requirements of the kidneys in both groups, despite being fully synthetic. Conclusions: Both NMP and SMP offer distinct advantages for kidney preservation, and the synthetic perfusate Omnisol appears to be feasible for both methods. In this experimental setting, the data indicate that NMP of porcine kidneys was associated with favorable functional parameters during the early phase of perfusion, whereas SMP showed comparatively stable parameters at later time points. These findings should primarily be considered exploratory observations and require validation in future studies, especially for the translation into a clinical scenario using human kidneys. Full article

Lost circulation remains a persistent and costly challenge in drilling operations for oil, gas, and geothermal energy systems, particularly when wide fractures and cavernous formations are encountered. Although a wide range of lost circulation materials (LCMs) is commercially available, multiple laboratory studies report that many conventional products are unable to effectively seal fractures of approximately 5 mm width under controlled conditions. In contrast, recent investigations of shape memory polymer (SMP)-based LCMs have demonstrated successful sealing of fractures up to approximately 12 mm in width. This review examines recent advances in SMP-based LCMs as an emerging class of smart materials capable of overcoming geometric and operational constraints associated with drilling equipment, particularly bottom-hole assembly (BHA) components. Through thermomechanical programming, these materials are transformed into compact temporary shapes suitable for seamless circulation and are subsequently triggered by reservoir temperatures to recover permanent geometries up to an order of magnitude larger. Upon activation, these discrete elements function collectively as a hierarchical, jammed system. The resulting multiscale networks—comprising ladder-shaped elements, interwoven fibers, and granular particles—bridge large apertures, enhance mechanical interlocking, and achieve superior hydraulic isolation. Full article

Electronic cigarette (ECIG) liquids are marketed with labeled nicotine concentrations and propylene glycol (PG) to vegetable glycerin (VG) ratios, yet quality control inconsistencies may alter vaping emissions. We quantified discrepancies between labeled and measured chemical content and evaluated how these differences affect emissions of particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter of 2.5 µm or smaller (PM_2.5). Flavor-free liquids (n = 20) spanning nicotine labels of 0, 9, 18, and 48 mg/mL and PG content from 0% to 80% were purchased. Nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy measured nicotine, PG, and VG. Aerosols were generated using a standardized device in a controlled exposure chamber. PM_2.5 was measured using a pDR-1500 and SMPS/APS, with gravimetric correction factors calculated. Labeling inaccuracies were widespread: “nicotine-free” liquids contained 0.1 to 0.4 mg/mL nicotine, and labeled nicotine deviated by up to ±30%. PG/VG ratios were frequently incorrect; 70% of samples contained higher VG than labeled, including “100% VG” products with about 10% PG. Higher VG consistently increased PM_2.5 mass, while nicotine had a minimal effect. The pDR overestimated mass, whereas SMPS/APS underestimated due to volatilization losses. Overall, inaccurate ECIG liquid labeling can alter measured PM_2.5 emissions under controlled conditions. Full article

In nature, avian species achieve remarkable aerodynamic efficiency by seamlessly coordinating flexible soft tissues to create continuous, adaptive wing surfaces, significantly minimizing drag and eliminating parasitic turbulence. Traditional shape morphing systems rely on bulky mechanical linkages that add excessive weight, often offsetting aerodynamic gains. The integration of soft active materials has emerged as a transformative solution for weight-efficient, seamless actuation. However, a significant disconnect remains between laboratory-scale research and practical aerospace implementation. This perspective evaluates three prominent classes of soft active materials, shape memory polymers (SMPs), dielectric elastomers (DEAs), and liquid crystal elastomers (LCEs), analyzing their actuation mechanisms and comparing their performance in load-bearing, response bandwidth, and energy efficiency. By addressing the necessity of structural-material synergy, we discuss the potential solution for bridging the gap between material synthesis and system-level flight performance to enable the successful deployment of soft active materials in future aerial platforms. Full article

Background: Traditional methods exhibit an extremely low removal efficiency for antibiotics in water, making an efficient and energy-saving approach urgently needed. Methods and Results: In this study, a novel catalytic approach based on the in situ generation of high-valent iron (Fe(IV)/Fe(V)) has been developed by adding biochar instead of modifying the electrode materials (in previous studies) for the efficient removal of sulfamethoxazole (SMX) from water. Fe(IV)/Fe(V) was produced by the anodic oxidation of low concentrations of Fe(III) and subsequently activated by nitrogen-doped corn stalk biochar (NBC). The results showed that the degradation efficiency increased from 50.83% to 90.67% within 60 min after the addition of nitrogen-modified biochar. The abundant defect structures, graphitic N and oxygen-containing functional groups in NBC endowed the catalyst with excellent activation capability. Quenching experiments and methyl phenyl sulfoxide (PMSO) probe experiments revealed that singlet oxygen (¹O₂) and Fe(IV)/Fe(V) were the main contributors to SMX degradation. Degradation pathways were inferred based on transformation products (TPs) and density functional theory (DFT) calculations. Ecotoxicity prediction using the ECOSAR program indicated that the TPs formed in the E/Fe(III)/NBC system exhibited markedly lower toxicity to aquatic organisms than the parent SMX. Furthermore, the E/Fe(III)/NBC system maintained a high degradation efficiency for SMX in real aquatic environments. Additionally, the E/Fe(III)/NBC system showed high removal rates for other sulfonamides such as sulfadiazine (SDZ), sulfamethoxypyridazine (SMP), sulfathiazole (STZ) and sulfadoxine (SDX). Conclusions: Overall, the E/Fe(III)/NBC system was demonstrated to be a highly efficient and sustainable technology for removing various antibiotics from water. Full article